A Visit to ICE! and the Winter Wonderland of Adventure

By Sara Branstetter | November 26, 2024

Each holiday season, the city of San Antonio celebrates with a number of special events, activities, and experiences (see some of our favorite holiday events in San Antonio!). This year, the JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country is going ALL OUT with an immersive experience called ICE!.

If you love the Grinch, freezing cold temperatures, and sledding – yes, even in South Texas where it is still a balmy 80° – this is THE holiday event for you.

ABOUT US

We’re Kelsey and Sara, two local foodies with a combined 29 years of eating in San Antonio, two travel books, and millions of blog readers. We adore local spots, rarely visit chain restaurants, and we aren't afraid to tell you the truth. After spending thousands of our own $$$ at hundreds of local hot spots, we're sharing the best with you.

A Visit to ICE!

What is ICE!?

ICE! is a fully immersive experience where guests can actually walk through the story of “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” by stepping into a world that is carved completely out of ice. Yes, you read that correctly.

The minds behind ICE! have sought out the best of the best and hired ice sculptors from Harbin, China which is known internationally for its enormous International Ice and Snow Festival.

Each year, when Harbin gets buried in snow for about 6 months, professional sculptors descend on the city to carve out an entire world made of ice (think Elsa’s ice castle from Frozen). Buildings, cities, even slides – all made of ice. The scale is positively huge and hundreds of thousands of guests from around the world visit Harbin each year for this amazing experience.

But now, thanks to ICE!, we don’t have to travel all the way to China to catch a glimpse of this mind-blowing event. We just have to visit the JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country.

When does ICE! begin?

ICE! began on Saturday, November 232024 and runs through January 5, 2025.

What’s there to do at ICE!?

So, so much! And that’s because this isn’t just a visit to ICE!, but a visit to the JW’s Winter Wonderland of Adventure which includes holiday treats, merch, and wintry activities.

This year’s wonderland features the Grinch himself with all the “trimmings and trappings” that brought this cherished story to life. It is a GREAT way to spend an evening with the family and get yourselves into a Christmasy mood.

ICE! Featuring How the Grinch Stole Christmas

Start your visit off with the headliner – ICE! You will step into a frozen world (and I do mean frozen as it is 9° in the ice room) and watch as the beloved characters from “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” come to life right before your eyes. You will walk through the entire story, taking in beautiful ice sculptures as you go. But be sure to make a pit stop at the ice slides about halfway through for a little fun and whimsy. Your ICE! tour will then end with an ice carved depiction of the nativity scene and a giant angel overlooking it.

A few fun facts about ICE!. There are 10 scenes from the original story that have been painstakingly carved out of more than 2 million pounds of ice. Each scene is up to 20 ft. high and can just about fill an entire room. In addition to the carving, ice is dyed using a variety of techniques to make the whole spectacle utterly vibrant and gorgeous.

The whole process takes approximately 12,000 man hours and if you’re lucky, you’ll actually get to see one of the sculptors touching things up or creating new pieces as they continue to work throughout the duration of the show.

If you are simply an admirer of the story of the Grinch, or an appreciator of artistry, you will LOVE this experience. It is truly one of the most unique things that I have ever done and I was beyond wowed by it. The technical skill and creativity that went into this project are simply over the top and I was blown away by the whole experience. If you can find the time to visit ICE!, it is well worth it.

A few tips and tricks – each guest to ICE! will be given a large parka with a hood to wear, so you don’t need to bring your own coat. But I recommend bringing EVERYTHING ELSE because it is cold in that room. You will appreciate having at least 2-3 layers under your parka, in addition to a hat, gloves, warm shoes, and a scarf. We just threw everything into a backpack and geared up right before heading into the cooler room.

When you are done, you’ll toss your parka into one of the collection bins and you can put all your winter gear back in the bag for the rest of your Winter Wonderland of Adventure fun.

Story Time with Mrs. Claus

Little ones can take a seat by the cozy fire and listen to a retelling of the Christmas classic Twas the Night Before Christmas. Mrs. Claus will also lead the kiddos in some holiday songs and pass out some warm cookies to share.

Gingerbread Cookie Decorating

The reindeer room will be filled with lots of gingerbread and toppings for guests to decorate and enjoy. You will then be able to take your edible art home with you.

Photo Ops Galore

Lots of chances for pics with the Grinch, his dog Max, and the big man himself, Santa Claus.

Tubing

One of my favorite memories of winter from my childhood was grabbing a tube and sledding down the mountains an hour from my house. As this is south Texas and we don’t have snow or mountains close by, this isn’t exactly a common experience for kids here.

But the JW has erected a large ice slide that gives kids (and those who are still kids-at-heart) a chance to tube down a hill for a short, but thrilling, ride.

There are both adult and kid sized tubes and they have done a great job ensuring that rides are safe, but super fun.

Snowball Build and Blast

The elves at the JW have also concocted a way for kids to build some snowballs and practice their target throwing. The snowball build and blast will kick out fresh snow that can be formed into snowballs and thrown at a special target. Each bullseye rewards the thrower with lights, flashing, and smoke.

Build-A-Bear Workshop

I don’t know that this one exactly screams Christmas, but Build-A-Bear will be on site with a full complement of stuffed animals and accessories including stuffed grinches and clothing.

Merch Galore

We’re talking merch on the scale of Disney! Ice! concludes by releasing guests into a huge gift shop area with all the Grinch merchandise you could possibly imagine. Additionally, you can find Christmas-themed everything from clothing to décor to toys.

Festive Eats and Treats

All this merry-making works up an appetite and you won’t go hungry (or thirsty!) thanks to a number of food stalls on site. Aunt Annie’s pretzels, food truck tacos, a dedicated alcohol stand, and more are all available to satiate your hunger and quench your thirst.

How to Buy Tickets

Tickets are on sale here and can be bought individually or in package deals. You can even reserve a hotel stay package to make a whole weekend out of it. Just read through all the details – there are so many ticket options you want to make sure you know exactly what you are getting.

A Note on Parking…

The JW recently converted all of their parking to paid lots and unfortunately guests to ICE! are not exempt. If you pay on-site, budget for an additional $34 fee for parking. And if you happen to be targeted with an offer for $10 parking as long as you prepay, do yourself a favor and TAKE IT.

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